BILL NUMBER: SB 566 AMENDED
BILL TEXT
AMENDED IN SENATE JANUARY 3, 2000
AMENDED IN SENATE APRIL 7, 1999
INTRODUCED BY Senator Escutia
FEBRUARY 19, 1999
An act to amend Section 12693.29 of, and to add Section
12693.265 to, the Insurance Code, and to add Section 14087.306 to the
Welfare add Chapter 8 (commencing with Section
124950) to Part 4 of Division 106 of the Health and Safety Code, and
to add Section 14087.326 to the Welfare and Institutions Code,
relating to school health programs , and making an appropriation
therefor .
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
SB 566, as amended, Escutia. School health programs
School health centers .
Existing law includes various programs to provide primary health
care services to the people of California. Existing law also
provides health care services and health coverage to families and
children meeting specified requirements through the Medi-Cal and
Healthy Families programs.
This bill would require the State Department of Health Services to
develop and establish a certification program for school health
centers, and would require the centers to promote enrollment of
eligible students in the Medi-Cal and Healthy Families programs as a
condition of certification. The bill would establish the School
Health Center Grant Program to provide grants to qualifying school
health centers, as defined, in order to assist the centers in
becoming certified or licensed as community clinics, and would
appropriate $2 million from the General Fund for this purpose. The
bill would also require the department to establish a study group,
with specified membership, to explore long-term strategies for the
support of school health centers, and the incorporation of these
centers into a coordinated, comprehensive health care system.
This bill would also require local initiatives, as defined, and
certain managed care providers, as a condition of contracting with
the department to provide Medi-Cal services, to offer a subcontract
to any certified school health center operating in the service area
covered by the provider's contract with the department.
Existing law provides for the Healthy Families Program,
administered by the Major Risk Medical Insurance Board, in order to
arrange for health care coverage for low-income children.
Existing law provides for the Medi-Cal program, administered by
the State Department of Health Services, under which qualified
low-income persons are provided with health care services.
This bill would require, as a condition of contracting under these
programs, that health plans contracting under the Healthy Families
Program and managed care plans contracting under the Medi-Cal program
negotiate contracts with school-based health care programs in their
geographic area that provide primary medical care.
Vote: majority 2/3 .
Appropriation: no yes . Fiscal
committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no.
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. Section 12693.265 is added to the
SECTION 1. Chapter 8 (commencing with Section 124950) is added to
Part 4 of Division 106 of the Health and Safety Code, to read:
CHAPTER 8. SCHOOL HEALTH CENTERS
124950. (a) The State Department of Health Services shall develop
and establish, by regulation, a certification program for school
health centers.
(b) The certification program established by the department under
this chapter may include more than one certification category. In
order to qualify for the highest category of certification offered by
the department, a school health center that does not offer a full
range of primary care services shall cooperate with licensed clinics,
hospitals, or other larger health systems, to ensure that all
necessary primary and preventative care services are provided.
(c) As a requirement of certification, each school health center
shall establish methods of promoting enrollment of eligible students
in the Medi-Cal program (Chapter 7 (commencing with Section 14000) of
Part 3 of Division 9 of the Welfare and Institutions Code) and the
Healthy Families Program (Part 6.2 (commencing with Section 12693) of
Division 2 of the Insurance Code). The department shall establish
guidelines to encourage school health centers to work with health
plans to develop appropriate cooperative arrangements for assistance
in achieving this objective, to the extent permitted by state and
federal law.
124952. (a) The School Health Center Grant Program is hereby
established, under which grants shall be made to qualifying school
health centers for the purpose of assisting those centers in becoming
certified or licensed as community clinics. For purposes of the
grant program, a qualifying school health center is one that has
entered into a partnership or other cooperative arrangement with a
licensed clinic, hospital, university, or other larger health system.
(b) The grant program shall be administered by the director and
officers and employees of the department as he or she may designate.
(c) The sum of two million dollars ($2,000,000) is hereby
appropriated from the General Fund to the department for the purpose
of funding the School Health Center Grant Program.
124954. (a) The department shall establish a study group to
explore long-term strategies for the support of school health
centers, and for the incorporation of the centers into a coordinated,
comprehensive health care system. Members of the study group shall
be appointed by the director or his or her designee, and shall
include, but not be limited to, representatives of each of the
following:
(1) The Managed Risk Medical Insurance Board.
(2) The Medi-Cal program.
(3) The State Department of Education.
(4) The State Department of Mental Health.
(5) Community clinics.
(6) Managed care.
(7) School health centers.
(b) On or before January 1, 2002, the study group shall report its
findings and recommendations to the health and education committees
of the Legislature.
SEC. 2. Section 14087.326 is added to the Welfare and Institutions
Code, to read:
14087.326. The department shall require, as a condition of
obtaining a contract with the department, that any local initiative,
as defined in subdivision (v) of Section 53810 of Title 22 of the
California Code of Regulations, or other Medi-Cal managed care
provider, which is currently required to offer a subcontract to
traditional and safety net providers, offer a subcontract to any
school health center certified pursuant to Chapter 8 (commencing with
Section 124950) of Part 4 of Division 106 of the Health and Safety
Code, and operating in the service area covered by the provider's
contract with the department. Insurance Code,
immediately after Section 12693.26, to read:
12693.265. (a) The executive director of the board shall require
that, as a condition of contracting with the Healthy Families
Program, or of renewing an existing contract, a participating health
plan negotiate amendment contracts with the school-based health care
programs in its geographic area that provide primary medical care.
(b) Under the terms of a contract between a health plan and a
school-based program, the plan shall reimburse the school-based
health care program for eligible services provided to children
enrolled in the participating plan.
(c) The board shall provide technical assistance to support the
negotiations between participating health plans and school-based
health care programs.
SEC. 2. Section 12693.29 of the Insurance Code is amended to read:
12693.29. (a) The board shall use appropriate and efficient means
to notify families of the availability of health coverage from the
program.
(b) The State Department of Health Services in conjunction with
the board shall conduct a community outreach and education campaign
in accordance with Section 14067 of the Welfare and Institutions Code
to assist in notifying families of the availability of health
coverage for their children. Twenty percent of the moneys allocated
for the community outreach and education campaign shall be expended
for school-based outreach programs conducted by schools.
(c) The board shall use appropriate materials, which may include
brochures, pamphlets, fliers, posters, and other promotional items,
to notify families of the availability of coverage through the
program.
SEC. 3. Section 14087.306 is added to the Welfare and Institutions
Code, to read:
14087.306. (a) The director shall require that, as a condition of
contracting with the department under this chapter or Chapter 8
(commencing with Section 14200), or of renewing an existing contract,
a Medi-Cal managed care plan negotiate contracts with the
school-based health care programs in its geographic area that provide
primary medical care.
(b) Under the terms of a contract between a Medi-Cal managed care
plan and a school-based program, the plan shall reimburse the
school-based health care program for eligible services provided to
children enrolled in the plan.
(c) The department shall provide technical assistance to support
the negotiations between Medi-Cal managed care plans and school-based
health care programs.